Study Sheds New Light on Beta Blockers in COPD
Mark Dransfield, MD (Professor, Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care) and colleagues have published their findings on the potential of beta blockers to prevent exacerbations of COPD. The results of their prospective, randomized trial reported in the New England Journal of Medicine indicate that beta-blockers do not prevent COPD exacerbations. Further, their research provokes a re-examination of the overall risk-benefit of beta-blockers for patients with both COPD and cardiac indications.
Congratulations to Our Newly Promoted Faculty!
The Department of Medicine is delighted to celebrate 18 faculty members who received the rank of Associate Professor or Full Professor as of October 1, 2019. We also recognize four who were awarded tenure.
Achieving these milestones is a tremendous accomplishment, and we salute each one for their outstanding contributions to academic medicine.
Hematology & Oncology Division Lifts 7,000 Pounds for Community Service
A community-minded group of 15 volunteers from the Division of Hematology and Oncology participated in a morning of service at the Community Foodbank of Central Alabama. They packed 168 boxes of mobile pantry items (4,200 lbs.) that will be distributed throughout the state, packed 420 individual Weekenders BackPack kits (1,680 lbs.) that will go to school-aged kids and their families, and weighed over 1,100 lbs. of sorted donations. That’s 7,000 lbs. of awesome. We salute you, Hem/Onc crew!
Suzanne Oparil Named United Therapeutics Endowed Professor
Suzanne Oparil, MD (Distinguished Professor of Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease) was appointed as the inaugural holder of the United Therapeutics Endowed Professorship at the Board of Trustees meeting in June. The Department was delighted to celebrate her many achievements and the generous philanthropy that made this professorship possible at a reception last week.
UAB Launches Healthcare Educators Academy
Last week, the School of Medicine joined the Schools of Dentistry, Health Professions, Public Health, and Nursing to launch the UAB Healthcare Educators Academy. The inaugural class of 12 health profession educators will partner with faculty mentors to further teaching excellence, foster innovation, and educational scholarship, and promote the careers and wellbeing of health profession faculty educators. Our Department of Medicine mentee is Rebekah Weil, MD (Assistant Professor, General Internal Medicine) who will work with Jessica Williams, PhD, MPH, to further develop the Health Disparities Track curriculum for internal medicine residents.